Training & Performance

The days of my protein rambling have almost come to an end! In my last post, I discussed how much protein should be ingested/day and how that protein should be distributed. The article before that discussed whether acute protein consumption...

Welcome back to another protein-focused edition of Training & Performance! My last article looked at the evidence in support of avoiding protein while you run. Today, I will discuss one of the more common questions I hear at my practice: does...

I have written many times(1, 2, 3, 4) about the importance of ingesting carbohydrates during a race (if it’s long enough). I’ve also discussed how taking in other sources of fuel, like protein, is not the best move due to it triggering an...

When it comes to performance, there’s no doubt that nutrition plays a significant role. In the past, I’ve really focused on acute nutrition: what you can do directly before or during your run to be faster (i.e. here). An area I have neglected to...

Well, it’s safe to say that the hot summer days of running are here! With many big races on the horizon, including the Waterloo Classic, it’s important to make sure we do our best to prepare for the additional challenge heat provides. It’s a...

I’ve written a few times (1, 2, 3, 4) before about how important it is to ingest carbs while racing a distance that takes over ~40-60mins to enhance performance. There still seems to be some resistance to doing this; some of it is fueled by...

Last week I spent most of the week with a mild head cold. Nothing crazy, but enough to motivate me to review my old immunology notes yet again to relearn what I already know (it’s always fun picturing the T-cells destroying the bad stuff). Times...

Last month I wrote about how much of a difference light shoes make. In summary, the study I referenced showed losing 100g/shoe will result in just under a 1% improvement in running economy (RE) as long as all other features remain equal. At...

When race day comes around, it’s always nice to have little things that you can do to run faster without actually having to be more fit. I think for most of us, it’s logical that if our shoes are substantially lighter, we’re going to require less...

The holiday season is upon us, which means the sugar content in our diets will be on the rise. No complaints here; sugar is delicious! Plus, as runners, we can get away with eating a lot more than our non-running friends. When we run, as most...

Well, it’s November. That means that we have some cold days of running ahead of us. Before you spiral into a pit of despair, there may be some good news when it comes to your performance! In the past, I’ve written about how running in the heat...

When you are months out from race day, there are numerous things you can do to get faster. For instance, (surprise) you could run more! However, when you’re within days of your important race, the physiology you have laid down for yourself is...